In Nicole's blog, she talks about her experience at a petting zoo and how she wondered in what ways the exotic animals reacted to their initial confinement. What was it like to be watched all day while everyone on the outside is looking in, Nicole asked. Farm animals and other domestic breeds are more likely to react positively to confinement since they already are. However, exotic wild animals get their complete freedom taken away from them. They are not meant to be behind bars. I'm not saying domestic animals are either but they react much better to losing the freedoms they once had since those freedoms were much smaller than the freedom wild animals are born into. Nicole talks about seeing baboons looking on desperately for a way out, owls and other birds not being able to fly, and wolves hiding in the corner while hundreds of people walked by. These animals seemed very bored and uncomfortable in their new unnatural habitat. Nicole says these animals are just not meant to be caged up. There is no way to find contentment for these locked up animals. Even though some would say these animals are safer locked up because predators can not get to them, in the wild, at least they would be able to act naturally and run or fly away if need be.
Then, Nicole relates this confinement with feminism, saying how women used to be seen as their husband's property a hundred years ago. Women were seen as passive things who "needed" protection and care. However, this would not fly nowadays, Nicole points out. Women fought this stereotypical idea of the passive female and refused to be locked up in the home when they could be making their own living. With freedom comes responsibility, but I can all humans and animals have a right to fend and protect themselves in all situations. Finally, Nicole asks, "Do you think filming animals in the wild is a breach of their privacy or is that just a human concept which non-humans do not care about?"
I think filming animals is better than keeping them locked up in zoos. It is impossible to really know what a non-human animal is thinking so invading their privacy may or may not be noticed by them, we really can't know. To me, zoos are like prisons. When people break the law, they get locked up. The worse the illegal act they performed, the more years they get sentenced. However, animals never do anything to deserve such treatment. When we go to zoos, people do not think the animals must have done something terrible to be locked away because they haven't. We don't really question the ethics of zoos; we just wonder through like the rest of the tourists. I think, because our society is so technologically advanced, it would be a great idea to create these zoo animals and make them as natural and real as we possibly can so no one can tell the difference. Of course, people would know because word would get out but at least they would be able to see these animals without really confining them. Another alternative is having people go through safari like replications or reserves where wild animals roam free. Or, placing cameras in the wild where animals may be could give humans an idea of how animals really act in the wild. I am not opposed to cameras in the wild as long as this stops zoos from confining animals. Filming anyone against their knowing is a breach to privacy but it is a much better alternative to zoos because no harm is done to the animals. There would need to be people in charge of monitoring and maintaining these cameras but it really could work, in my opinion.
My questions are: Why are people generally oblivious to the cruelty of confining animals in zoos and cages (like I was as a child and even before this class)? Do you think people are actually aware but choose to ignore when cruelty is taking place? Also, why don't people put themselves in the animals' situation more often? A lot would change.
Here is a picture I took at the zoo quite a few years back. Then, I didn't even take notice to how sad and desperate this animal looks. I was just excited about seeing animals I had only heard and read about. Now it's impossible to ignore how unhappy this animal is... like a prisoner.
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